Reversible driving mechanism.



R. H. JOHNSON. REVERSIBLE DRIVING-MECHANISM.

: APPLICATION FILED DEG. 21, 1911. 7 1,037,922, Patented Sept. 10, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

R. H. JOHNSON. REVERSIBLE DRIVING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED D30. 21, 1911.

1,037,922, Patented Sept. 10,1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

iilll U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT HENRY JOHNSON, OF wasnme'rom 'ms'raxc'r or COLUMBIA.

REvERsmLE nmvmc MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom itma'y camera:

Be it known that I, ROBERT H. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at \Vashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in. Reversible Driving Mechanism; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which'it. appertains make and use the same.

My invention relates to mechanism for transmitting motion ,in reverse directions from a drive shaft to a driven shaft, and it relates more especially to reversible driving -mechanism, which maybe used to connect the driving shaft to the driven shaft'for turning the latter in either direction, and for turning the driven shaft at substantially the same speed in either direction, or for permitting same to remain without turning.

My invention is especiall adapted for use in connecting the propc ler shaft of a motor boat to the driving shaft, and for usewith the parts in the position-when the drive shaft is rotating, but the driven shaft is not rotating, parts bein shown in section. Fig. 2 shows the mechan sm in the position for turning the driven shaft in one direction, or ahead, Fig. 3 shows the mechanism in the position for turning the driven shaft in the reverse direction, or astern, and Fig; 4 is a detail showingin side elevation one of the yieldin gears.

1 shows a suitale frame, in which the various gear wheels are mounted, which frame slides upon a suitablebed plate 2, and

is reciprocated in any convenient way, as

'by means of the rack 3 and pinion 4, which pinion is mounted on the shaft 5, which shaft may be driven by a hand wheel, a hand lever,- a ulley, or in any other convenient or wel known way. The frame 1 has twoaend members I and 1". member lfiis perforated, as at 8, to permit the free passage therethrough of the elon- The end gated gear 7, mounted on the driven shaft 6,

which is driven from the engine in any suitable way. The end of-this shaft 6 carries a yoke 9, in which the tongue 10 is held by means of the pin 11. This tongue 10 is provided with a hollow cap 12, in which projects the head 13 of the toggle member 14, and antifriction balls 15 are provided in said hollow cap, as shown in Fig. 1. This toggle member 14 is hinged to the yoke 16 of the toggle member'l'l, whose head is generally similar to that of the toggle member 14, and is revolubly mounted in the cap 12', generally similar to the cap 12, which cap is Patented Sept. 10, 1912. Application filed December 21, 1911. Serial No. 667,243.

connected by the tongue 10, generally simi-' lar to the tongue 10, to the yoke 18 by means of the pin 19. This yoke 18 is integral with the squared shaft 20, which shaft is mounted to. slide in the sleeve 21, carrying the ring 22, provided with gear teeth 23. To

prevent stripping, springs 24 are interposed etween the ring 22 and the lugs 26 on the sleeve 21, as shown in detail in Fig. 4. A face plate 25 covers the pockets for the springs 24, as shown in'Fig. 1; and a set collar 27, held in place by the screw 28, holds the sleeve 21 against longitudinal mo tion in the end member 1 of the frame 1.

The shaft 20 is provided with a cylindrical sleevev 29, to engage in suitable journal bearings (not shown). Springs 30 are provided, connecting the sleeve 21 with the projecting mall to keep the toggle joint formed by the mem ers 17 and 14 in the distended, or straight position.

An idle pinion -40 is journaled on a stub to the yoke 9 already described; and the pin 11, to'ngue'lO, hollow cap 12?, toggle member 14, yoke 16", toggle member 17, hollow cap 12, tongue 10,springs 30, and squared shaft 20 are generally similar to the parts 9 to 17, and 20 and 30 already described' The shaft 20' slides through a sleeve enerally similarto that already describ as shown in Fig. 4, on which sleevea ring carryingthe gear'teeth 42 is provided.

,The eneral construction of the gears 22, 41, and 42 is shown in Fig. 4. It will be noted that the stub shaft onwhich the gear 41 is mounted and the shaft 20" constitute a ends of the pin 19, which springs tend norbroken shaft having' the same axis, the two 7 members of'which are connected together by v the toggle members 14 and 17 and the universal joints hereinbefore described; and this broken shaft constitutes a reversing shaft for transmission of the rotary motion of the drive shaft in the reverse direction to the driven shaft. The shaft 20 -is free to slide through the gear 42; r and when the toggle members 14 and 17 are in the straight or distended position, this shaft 20 brings up against a stop 43, carried by the bed plate 2.

The operation of the device is as follows :Suppose the parts to be in the position shown in'Fig. 1, and the shaft 6 to be in rotation, this shaft will drive the idler. 4:0 and the gear 41, but the two toggle joints being inthe straight or distended position, and being provided with loose caps 12 and 12, with antifriction bearings, these caps will rotate without throwing the toggle joints out of alinement, and without causing the mechanism to impart any motion and 20 to the position shown in'Fig. 2, the

springs 30 being then inoperative, and the rotarymotion of the shaft 6 will be directly communicated to the. shaft 20. At this time, the springs 30 will hold the reversing toggle in the distended position, as shown in the lower portion of Fig. 2; and no pow-erwill be transmitted from the gear 4:1 to the gear 42, although these gears will both. be in rotation. In order to reverse the mechanism, rotate the pinion 4: in the opposite direction until the rack 3 and frame 1 assume the position shown in Fig. 3. During this movement of the frame 1, the'shaft 20 will strike the stop 43, causing the gear 42 to slide on the shaft 20, and stretching coupling passes from the position for going the springs 30. At the same time, centrifugal force will cause the reversing toggle joint to. bend, as shown in Fig. 3; and the motion will be transmitted from the gear 7- through the. idler 40 and gear 41, and the reversing toggle to the shaft 20, and from the gear 42 to the gear 22; and this will turn the shaft 20 and sleeve 29 in the reverse direction from that in .which the necting the sleeves and the rings carrying the gear teeth, as shown in Fig. 4.

It will be noted that in reversing, the

ahead through the dead center, or position when neither toggle joint is rotating, as" shown in Fig. 1, and then to the position for reversing; and while this reversal may be accomplished very rapidly, at the same time there is a short interval when the power applied to the drive shaft isentirely cut off from the driven shaft, and this brief inter-f val in a large measure protects the apparatus from those injuries, due to sudden shock, which are likely tooccur when the motion of driven mechanism is suddenly reversed.

While I have shown both ends of the toggle joint connecting the drive shaft and the driven shaft, and also both ends of the toggle joint connecting the two" members of the reversing shaft, as freely revoluble relative to said shafts, it will be obvious that it will only be necessary to have one -member of each toggle joint so revolubly connected, whereby there may be free relative rotary movement betweenthe toggle joint and the shaft driving the same when the toggle joint is in the straight, or extended position It will ,be obvious that anysuitable means for reciprocating the frame 1 may be adopt ed, and I donot intend to limit my invention to any specific means for accomplishing this purpose, nor do I mean to limit my invention to any specific arrangement of frame, gears. or the like, as various modifications might be made in the herein describedconstruction, combination, and arrangement of parts, which might be used without departing from the spirit of my invention. v

' Having thus described 'myinvention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is J. Mechanism for transmitting rotary motion, comprising a drive shaft and a driven shaft, a toggle joint, a pivoted swivel joint-revolubly connecting said toggle joint to one of said shafts. and a pivoted swivel joint connecting said toggle joint to the other of said shafts, and means for moving one of said shafts longitudinally thereby bending said toggle joint, and transmitting motion from ,the drive shaft to the driven shaft, substantially as described.

2. Mechanism for transmitting rotary motion, comprising a drive shaft, and a driven shaft, a toggle joint, a pivoted swivel joint with-,antifriction bearings revolubly connecting said toggle joint to one of said shafts, and a pivoted swivel joint connecting said toggle joint to the other of said shafts, and means for moving one, of said shafts longitudinally thereby bending said toggle joint. and transmitting motion from the drive shaft to the driven shaft, substantially as described. j

3. Mechanism for transmitting rotary driven shaft, a toggle joint, a p voted,

'- swivel joint revolubly connecting said toggle joint to one of said shafts, anda pivoted swivel oint connecting said toggle joint to the other of said shafts, and means for moving said driven shaft longitudinally thereby bending said toggle joint, and transmitting motion from the drive shaft to the driven shaft, substantially as described.

4. Mechanism for transmitting rotary motion, comprisinga drive shaft and a driven shaft, a toggle joint, a pivoted swivel joint revolubly connecting said toggle joint to one of said shafts, and a pivoted swivel joint connecting said toggle oint to the other of said shafts, and means for moving said driven shaft longitudinally thereby bending said toggle joint, and transmitting motion from the drive shaft to the driven shaft, substantially as described. 1

5. Mechanism for transmitting rotary motion, comprising a drive shaft and a driven shaft, a toggle joint, a pivoted swivel joint revolubly connecting said toggle joint to one of said shafts, and a pivoted swivel joint connecting said toggle joint to the other of said shafts, means for normally holding said toggle joint in the straight or distended position, and means for moving one of said shafts longitudinally thereby bending said toggle joint, and transmitting motion from the drive shaft to the driven shaft, substantially as described.

6. Mechanism for transmitting rotary mot-ion, comprising a drive shaft and a driven shaft, a toggle joint, a pivoted swivel joint revolubly connecting said toggle joint to one of said'shafts, and a ivoted swivel joint connecting said toggle joint to the other of said shafts, springs under tension for normally holding said togglejoint in the straight or distended position, and

4 means for moving one of said shafts longitudinally thereby bending said toggle joint, and transmitting mot-ion 'fromthe drive shaft to the driven shaft, substantially as described.

7. Mechanism for "transmittin rotary motion, comprising a drive sha and a driven shaft, a toggle joint, :1 pivoted swivel joint revolubly connecting said toggle joint to one of said shafts, and a pivoted swivel joint connecting said toggle oint to the other of said shafts, means for normally holding said toggle joint in thestraight or distended position, and means for moving said driven shaft longitudinally thereby bending said toggle joint, and transmitting motion shaft, substantially as described.

8. Mechanism for transmittin rotary motion, comprising a drive sha t and a driven shaft, a toggle joint, a ivoted swivel joint'revolubly connecting sai toggle -motion, comprising a drive sha from the drive shaft to the driven comprising two members,

joint to one of said shafts, and a pivoted swivel joint connecting said toggle joint to the other of said shafts, springs under tension for normally holding said toggle .joint in the straight or distended position, and means for moving said-driven shaft longitudinally thereby bending said toggle joint, and. transmitting motion from the drive shaft to the driven shaft, substantially as described.

9. Mechanism for transmitting rotary motion, comprising a drive shaft and a driven shaft, a toggle joint, pivoted swivel joints revolubl connecting said toggle joint to each of sai shafts, means for normally holding said toggle joint in the straight or distended position, and means for moving one of said shafts longitudinally thereby bending said toggle joint, and transmitting motion from the drive shaft to the driven shaft, substantially as. described.

10. Mechanism for transmitting rotary motion, comprising a drive shaft and a driven shaft," a toggle joint, pivoted :swivei joints revolubly connecting said toggle joint to each of said shafts, springs under tension for norm-ally holding said toggle joint in the straight or distended position, and means for movingone of said shafts longitudinally thereby bending said toggle joint, and transmitting 'motion from the drive shaft to-the driven shaft, substantially as described. j

IL-Mechanism for transmittinfg. rotary t and a driven shaft, a toggle joint, a pivoted swivel joint revclubly connecting said toggle joint to one of said shafts, and a pivoted swivel joint connecting said toggle joint to the other 'ofsaid shafts, an interrupted reversing shaft comprising two members, a second toggle joint with pivoted swivel'connection connecting the said members with a revohible connection between said second toggle joint and one member-of said reverslng shaft, gearing connect-ing said drive shaft with one member of, said reversin shaft, gearing connecting said driven .sha t with the other member of said reversing shaft, and means for moving either one 0 said shafts longitudinally thereby bending one. of said toggle joints, and transmitting motion from the drive shaft. to the driven shaft, substantially as described.

12. Mechanism for transmitting rotary motion, comprising a drive shaft and a driven shaft, a toggle joint, a pivoted swivel joint with antifriction bearings rev olubly connecting said toggle joint to one of said shafts, and a ivoted swivel joint connecting said toggle 10ifitto the other of said shafts, an interrupted reversing shaft a second toggle joint with pivoted swivel connections connecting, the said members with a revoluble connection between said second toggle joint and one member of said reversing shaft,

' gearing connecting said drive shaft with one member of said reversing shaft, gearing connecting said driven shaft with the other member of said reversing shaft, and' means for moving either one of said shafts longitudinally thereby bending one 'ofsaid toggle joints, and transmitting motion from the drive shaft to the driven shaft, substantially as described.

13. Mechanism for transmitting rotary motion, comprising a drive shaft and a driven shaft, a toggle joint, a pivoted swivel joint revolubly connecting said toggle joint to one of said shafts, and a pivoted swivel joint connecting said toggle joint to the other.

of said shafts, an interrupted reversing shaft comprising two members, a second toggle joint with pivoted swivel connections connecting the said members with arevoluble connection between said second toggle joint and one member of-said reversing shaft, gearing connecting said drive shaft with one member of said reversing shaft, gearing connecting said driven shaft with the other member of said reversing shaft, means for normally holding said toggle joints in the straight or distended position, and means for moving either one of said shaftslongitudinally thereby bending one of said togjoint and one member of said reversing shaft, gearing connecting said drive shaft with one member of said reversing shaft, gearing connecting' said driven shaft with the other member of said reversing shaft,

springs'under tension for normally holding said toggle joints in the straight or distended position, and means for moving either one of said thereby bending one of said toggle joints, and transmitting motion from the drive shafts longitudinally gshaft to the driven shaft, substantially as described.

15..Mechanism for transmitting rotary -motion, comprising a drive shaft and a driven shaft, a toggle joint, pivoted swivel joints revolubly connecting said toggle oint to each of said shafts, and a pivoted swivel joint connecting said toggle joint to the other of said shafts, an interrupted reversing shaft comprising two members,-a second toggle joint with pivoted swivel connections connecting the said, members with a revoluble connection between said second toggle joint and one member of said reversing shaft, gearing connecting said drive shaft with one member of said reversing shaft, gearing connecting said driven shaft with the other member of said reversing shaft, means for normally holding said toggle joints in the straight or distended position, and means for moving either one of said shafts longitudinally thereby bending one of said toggle joints, and transmitting motion from the drive shaft to the driven shaft, substantially as described.

16. Mechanism for transmitting rotary motion, comprising a drive shaft and a 'driven shaft, a toggle joint, pivoted swivel joints revolubly connect-ing said" toggle joint to each of said shafts, and a ivoted swivel joint connecting said toggle oint to the other of said shafts, an interrupted reversing shaft comp'rising two members, a

- second toggle joint with pivoted swivel connections' connecting the saidmembers with a revoluble connection between said, second toggle joint and one member of said reversing shaft, gearing connecting said drive shaft with one member of said reversing shaft, gearing connect-ing said driven shaft with the other member of said reversing shaft, springs under tension for normally holding said toggle joint in the straight or distended position, and means for moving either. one of said shafts longitudinally thereby'bending one of said toggle joints,

and transmitting motion from the drive shaft to the driven shaft, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT HENRY JOHNSON.

Witnesses: B. H. DAILEY,

D. Lnwrs MATIERN. 

